


Going Soft

by dyingpoet



Category: The Outsiders - All Media Types
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Intimacy, M/M, Minor Violence, lmao one day ill write something where dallas isnt so goddamn repressed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22118893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyingpoet/pseuds/dyingpoet
Summary: Dallas Winston would kill or die for Johnny Cade and sometimes he hates himself for it
Relationships: Johnny Cade/Dallas Winston
Comments: 8
Kudos: 150





	Going Soft

**Author's Note:**

> ayy this is long but i wrote it for my best friend who wanted more jally content and im nothing if not smart sexy and beautiful so i delivered <3 <3 (frankie ik ur reading this and ily)

“You seen my switch, Dal?”

“Nope,” Dallas called out from the recliner, glancing over his shoulder quickly before clicking the blade shut and shoving it in his jacket pocket. “You lose it or somethin’?”

There was the general sound of drawers being rummaged through and slammed shut for a minute or so before Two-bit appeared from the Curtis’ kitchen, standing in front of Dallas to block the television and narrow his eyes.

“Or somethin’.”

Dallas gave Two-bit a hard look that would have had anybody else beating it out of there, but you could pull a heater on Two-bit and he’d crack a joke about your aim, so he just grinned and flopped down on the couch across from Dallas.

“But I don’t suppose a hood such as yourself would dream of liftin’ somethin’ off your ole buddy Two-bit,” the older hood said easily, eyes moving lazily from the television to Dallas and back again. “But if ya did, I’d find it in my heart to forgive you, because that’s just the type of guy I am, loyal and kind and-”

“Oh Christ just take the damn thing,” Dallas snapped, digging the blade out of his pocket and tossing it over to Two-bit, who bust out laughing and almost got hit in the face when he tried to catch it.

“Stealin’ my personal property and tryin’ to take my eye out? Shoot, you got me thinkin’ we ain’t buddies no more, Dally.”

Dallas only got a few of the choice words he always had saved for when Two-bit got mouthy out when the screen door flew open and Steve stumbled in looking like he’d gone a few rounds on the way back. His lip was split wide open and was dripping onto his shirt, and he was holding the collar of his shirt up to his nose to try and stop it from getting everywhere too.

“The hell happened to you?” Dallas asked, only half interested and it showed. Two-bit was already up off the couch and giving Steve a good once over when Soda walked in, arm wrapped around Johnny, who was white as a sheet and about as banged up as Steve.

Dallas felt his whole body go cold and tense up, and he was up and standing in front of the two of them before Soda could get so much as a word out. Johnny’s hands, he noticed, were shaking hard, and he looked briefly up at Dallas, bangs covering up the beginnings of a black eye on one side, and sticking to a gash right above his eyebrow on the other.

He looked at Soda, who was only a little better off than Johnny, before grabbing the kid gently by the shoulder and steering him over to the couch while Soda walked off to get the first aid kit they kept stocked in the bathroom.

Johnny still hadn’t said anything when he sat down on the couch, Dallas next to him and trying his best not to snap at the kid. He was afraid he might break him right then and there, looking the way he was.

“Johnny? What happened, kid?” 

Dallas made his voice soft enough that nobody in the kitchen would hear, and waited while Johnny took a deep breath, hands still shaking, before he spoke. “I’m alright, Dally.”

“Suppose Steve and Soda rolled ya on the way over then?” Dallas knocked Johnny’s shoulder lightly, fighting back a whine when Johnny didn’t so much as glance at him. The kid was even more shook up than usual since he and Ponyboy got jumped in the park a couple weeks ago, whatever scrape he’d gotten into must’ve scared him bad.

Dallas let him take his time with it though, watching his shoulders shudder as he tried to get ahold of himself before starting. Soda had a good instinct leaving them alone, Johnny probably would have clammed up if the rest of the boys were hanging off of him. 

Finally, he cleared his throat and shook his head a little.

“Okay, yeah so, uh, Evie and me were waitin’ outside the DX for Steve and Soda to clock out, right? I guess they were goin’ out or somethin’ ‘cause she was all dressed up.”

Nodding, Dallas was tuned in while he studied the kid’s face. He’d ask Soda later if the kid got hit in the head real hard or anything like that because he kept shutting his eyes tight every couple words like it hurt to talk. 

“And these real socy guys come up and one of ‘em goes right up to her and starts playin’ with her hair and talkin’ bull, and she starts gettin’ real freaked out so I shoved the guy off and, well,” Johnny trailed off, gesturing at his face. “Soda and Steve ran out before they could get me on the ground or anything, and they cut out pretty fast once Evie started hollerin’ that she was callin’ the fuzz.”

“She really call ‘em?”

“Nah,” Johnny said, shaking his head with a little more color back in his face now. “Steve had a gram on him, ‘sides, they don’t give a damn about us anyway.”

Dallas nodded, clapping a hand on the kid’s shoulder right as Soda walked in, arms full of bandages and alcohol and all the stuff you kept on hand when people stumbled into your house bleeding nine days out of ten.

He dumped at all on the table and perched on the edge, concern radiating off of him as he tilted his head at Johnny. “You alright, kiddo?”

Johnny swallowed hard and nodded jerkily, muscles tensing under Dallas’ hand as he shifted a little. “Yeah, I’m fine. Steve okay?”

“He’s just fine, pride’s a little busted what with you savin’ his girl and all,” Soda teased, usual grin back on his face as he stood up and ruffled Johnny’s hair. “I reckon he’ll live though.”

He got a smile out of Johnny with that, and he looked quickly at Dallas before making for the kitchen. “Holler when you’re all cleaned up Johnny, I can lend ya somethin’ that ain’t all bloody.”

“Thanks,” Johnny said softly, reaching tentatively for the bottle of rubbing alcohol on the table, pulling back when Dallas beat him to it. “I can do it, Dal-”

“Hush, kid,” Dallas chided, grabbing a fistful of bandages and a rag while he was at it. He could track down whoever got the kid later, hell, he might see if Shepard wanted in on it, but he couldn’t just let the kid bleed out on the sofa. “They get you-move your hair-they get you in the head real bad?”

Johnny shrugged, brushing his bangs out of his face and flinching slightly when Dallas poured some alcohol on the rag and pressed it to the gash above his eyebrow. “One of ‘em belted me pretty good, was wearin’ a ring, s’how I got cut up.”

A growl escaped Dallas, but he fought it down when Johnny shrank back a little. “Yeah, it ain’t too bad, you don’t need stitches or nothin’. It’ll look real tuff once it heals up.”

Brightening at that, Johnny took the rag while Dallas tore open a bandage and plastered it over the cut. “Think so?”

“Sure, and chicks dig scars man,” Dallas said, grinning wolfishly. “Believe me, I know.”

Johnny reddened and then yawned pretty big as Dallas took the rag back and started getting the blood off his forehead. He started a little when Dallas flicked his shoulder and looked up frowning.

“Don’t even think about fallin’ asleep, you hear? Head busted up like that you just might not wake up.”

Johnny’s eyes got huge then, and in that light Dallas figured they looked more black than brown. The kid looked awful scared by that though, so Dallas shoved lightly at his shoulder and jerked his head towards the bathroom. 

“Don’t sweat it kid, with Two-bit here you won’t be gettin’ a wink of sleep anyhow. Now go shower or somethin’, get all the damn blood off.”

Looking a little less frightened Johnny nodded and got up to start for the bathroom. “You ain’t wrong ‘bout that, thanks Dally.”

Two-bit bust in from the kitchen before Dallas could say anything, almost knocking Johnny flat as he did. 

“Hey, it’s our very own knight in shinin’ armor!” Two-bit made to grab Johnny in a headlock, but thought better of it after getting a good look at him, and settled for poking at his sides playfully. “I oughta start bringin’ you ‘round town with me, like my own personal bodyguard.”

Johnny bit back a laugh and slapped Two-bit’s hands away. “Yeah, yeah, lay off, man.”

“Yeah, lay off, Two-bit.” 

Steve walked out of the kitchen, face all patched up, and swatted at Two-bit’s head, giving Johnny enough time to scurry into the bathroom before Two-bit let out a yell and pounced, dragging Steve to the ground.

Dallas rolled his eyes and laid back against the couch, shutting his eyes. He figured he ought to stay here tonight with the kid, or drag him back to Buck’s so he could keep an eye on him and make sure his head wasn’t busted too bad. 

Steve and Two-bit smacked hard into the couch then, and Dallas cursed and leaned forward to cuff Two-bit around the head from where he was trying to pin Steve. “Glory would you cut it out, Two-bit? Ain’t seen you do nothin’ but bum around all day.”

Steve laughed from underneath the older greaser, and Two-bit rolled off of him and splayed out on the floor, panting along with Steve while he mock-glared up at Dallas. “And what did Mr. Dallas Winston contribute to our fine community today, huh? I ain’t exactly seen you readin’ to no orphans.”

“Least he ain’t gettin’ boozed up ‘fore noon.”

Dallas barked out a wry laugh at that, and Two-bit swung half-heartedly at Steve, who rolled away. “Well at least  _ I _ ain’t playin’ nursemaid for the neighbor kids.”

It was a joke, but most of Two-bit’s jokes walked the fine line between being getting a laugh and getting slugged. He was toeing it real good right now and Dallas felt his face get stony.

“Watch it, man.”

He was looking Two-bit dead in the eyes, but the other either couldn’t tell from how he was looking up at the ceiling, or he was just plain ignoring him. Steve sat up and leaned his back against the couch, giving Dallas a quick glance before going quiet himself.

“Hey, it ain’t a bad thing man, if you’re gonna go soft for somebody-”

“I ain’t goin’  _ fucking  _ soft for anybody,” Dallas snapped, moving to sit up and hearing the noises of Soda in the kitchen that’d been background this whole time fall silent. 

Two-bit rolled his eyes and Dallas felt a defensiveness that quickly turned to anger in the pit of his stomach. He was white knuckling the arm of the couch when Soda poked his head out of the kitchen and looked hard at Two-bit, who was still laid out on the ground without a care in the world.

“Hey Two? Can you come help me in here with-”

“I honestly think it’s some sorta miracle the state department let you adopt a kid like that with your record, you must’a cried or somethin’ to get all them papers signed-”

That did it. Dallas felt the thin string inside of him snap, and it was almost like he got so mad so quick he didn’t feel much of anything. Just blank. Because Dallas Winston didn’t give a hang about anybody and he’d known Two-bit longer than most anybody and he’d bust his skull same as he would a soc’s for saying otherwise. It being about Johnny made it worse, because he’d kill or die for Johnny Cade and he fucking hated himself for it. So he decided right then that he hated Two-bit, and so he was on top of him before he could as much as bring his hands up to protect his face.

He only got one solid punch in before Soda and Steve dragged him off, both of them grabbing one of his arms and pulling back hard as he lunged for Two-bit again as he scrambled to stand up, a hand flying up to grab at his nose which was leaking like a faucet from where Dallas got him.

“Wanna say that shit again, Mathews?” Dallas barely heard Soda telling him to calm down and Steve yelling at Two-bit to beat it into the kitchen. “Go ahead, fuckin’ do it.”

Two-bit had his head in the clouds as much as Ponyboy, but even he knew when to back off, and he walked into the kitchen holding his nose as Dallas threw curses at him on the way.

He could still feel the anger physically in his chest, and it was like he couldn’t breathe right for a second because it was choking him. The house was suddenly too small and he needed to  _ move _ , right now.

“Im fuckin’ fine, lay off.” Dallas balled his fists as Steve and Soda both let go and he tried threw one last curse in the direction of the kitchen as Steve went to go check on Two-bit. Soda stayed though, and eyed Dallas cautiously as he paced a little in front of the couch.

Dallas actually opened his mouth to snap at him to stop goddamn staring when there was the sound of someone coming down the stairs. Both boys turned to see Johnny walk down, swamped in some of Pony’s old clothes and hair dripping water like he’d come down in a hurry and didn’t bother to towel it off. 

He looked between Soda and Dallas carefully and Dallas felt himself physically deflate because the kid looked  _ scared _ . Of him. Of Dallas and that felt like getting shot through the heart a little, and he almost felt sorry for hitting Two-bit and almost storming out like he did. He felt all that in half a second before Johnny even said anything.

“Y’all get in a fight?”

Dallas shook his head when Two-bit called from the kitchen, “Glory hallelujah he got me but good Johnny! Y’all might need to get the undertaker on the phone just in case-”

“Oh kiss off and quit movin’ around Two-bit, you’re gettin’ blood all over the place.”

Soda left the two of them in the living room as Steve and Two-bit, who was back to his wise-cracking self, bickered loudly in the kitchen. Johnny watched Soda go before moving to sit down on the couch again and drawing his knees up to his chest, yawning. “Why’d you knock Two-bit one?”

Exhausted all the sudden, Dallas slouched down on the couch next to Johnny and shrugged. “You know Two-bit, took it one crack too far, ‘sides, the beauty queen in there’ll live.”

There was a yelp from the kitchen and Johnny just barely smiled as Steve threatened to throw him back in there with Dallas if he wouldn’t just sit still. Dallas wasn’t paying all that much attention himself, all that shit Two-bit hard spout off made him feel antsy sitting next to the kid, and he got up to turn the volume up on the T.V. just to have something to do.

When he turned back though, Johnny was dozing off, head laid back against the couch and the awkwardness was gone.

“Hey, none of that, kid.” Dallas snapped his fingers in front of Johnny’s face and grinned when the kid blinked up at him with half-lidded eyes. “Ya can’t sleep yet, ain’t nobody here lookin’ to start up a tab with the undertaker.”

Johnny quirked half a smile and nodded, not moving much else besides that, though. “I ain’t sleepin’, just restin’ my eyes a little.”

“Yeah, sure looks like it,” Dallas drawled, sarcasm dripping from the words as he sat down next to Johnny, who’d started ‘resting his eyes’ again. “I ain’t kiddin’ around, you gotta stay awake.”

“I ain’t sleepin’.”

“So you can see right through your eyelids now, huh? You really oughta see a doctor ‘bout that, man, really don’t seem all that healthy.”

Johnny kept his eyes resolutely shut and smirked a little. “Quit buggin’ me Dal.”

“Oh, I’m buggin’ you now?” Johnny couldn’t see it but Dallas was grinning huge, Johnny barely ever kidded around anymore. 

“Yeah, just like Two-bit does-hey!”

Johnny squeaked, eyes shooting open as Dallas tackled him lightly into the couch and messed his hair before scritching his nails over his neck. 

“Dallas!” Johnny shoved weakly at Dallas’ shoulders, yelping loudly as the older took advantage and shoved his hands under his arms. “Knock- _ stop _ -knock it off!”

“Don’t think I can, Johnnycakes, can’t have you fallin’ asleep or nothin’, can I?”

Honestly, this was the most Dallas had seen Johnny laugh in a long, long time, so he kept at it for a bit longer before backing off and sitting back on Johnny’s hips while the younger giggled residually, red-faced, underneath him.

“My oh my, is that Johnny Cade I heard laughin’ in here?” 

Two-bit strolled in just then, followed by Soda and Steve who looked fondly at the still giggling Johnny underneath Dallas; it really had been a long time since any of them had heard the kid laugh.

“Shoot kid, I thought you forgot how to laugh,” Two-bit said, reaching down and poking Johnny’s stomach as he passed to sit in the recliner, drawing a yelp out of him.

Dallas moved off the kid, settling down at the other end of the couch near his feet and giving him a look when he sat up. “Still wanna give me static, kid?”

Johnny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, turning to watch the T.V. that Steve and Soda were messing with at the front of the room. Dallas stretched out his arms then and caught sight of Two-bit in the recliner. 

Pointing to Johnny he mouthed, “Going soft.”

Dallas flipped him off.

**Author's Note:**

> ayyy hope yall liked this!!! it felt a little different from my last two fics and i cant tell if thats in a good way or a bad way yet??
> 
> kudos/comments literally r my main motivation at this point so plz drop one if u can :) also hmu on tumblr @dying-poet if u wanna rant about the outsiders or some shit :))


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